Method and apparatus for filling and closing containers

ABSTRACT

Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosed for disposing of radioactive waste materials by placing them into a container such as a steel drum, together with cement or other solidifying agent and water or other suitable liquid in amounts sufficient to provide eventually a solidified mixture of predetermined amounts of cement or other solidifying agent and radioactive material, closing the drum, agitating the mixture in the drum for mixing the contents, and then storing the drum for at least a period of time sufficient to permit partial decay of radioactive materials or to await available time for shipment. Also disclosed are remotely controlled apparatus for handling both empty and filled drums, for placing the drums in and removing drums from enclosed drumming equipment where they have been filled and agitated, for accurately placing the drums containing radioactive material in storage, and for removing the drums from storage and loading them on a vehicle for transportation. All of these operations are done by remote control with a high degree of safety to the operators and maintenance personnel from radiation and freedom of the ambience from radiation pollution.

United States Patent Stock et a1.

[451 Sept. 17, 1974 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR FILLING AND CLOSINGCONTAINERS [75] Inventors: Arthur ,1. Stock, Lakewood; Donald E.Christofer, Willowick; Joseph E. Brinza, Euclid, all of Ohio [73]Assignee: Stock Equipment Company,

Cleveland, Ohio [22] Filed: Sept. 20, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 182,088

[52] US. Cl 53/21, 53/37, 53/111, 53/167, 53/281, 53/381 [51] Int.Cl..... B65b 3/00, B65b 55/24, B65b 29/00 [58] Field of Search 53/21,24, 37, 36, 111, 53/126, 127, 266, 267, 281, 282, 381;141/95,100,103,104,198;252/301.1W; 259/1 R, 12, 13, 14, DIG. 24

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,418,146 5/1922 Fogle53/267 2,563,319 8/1951 Domack 259/D1G. 24 3,145,741 8/1964 Smith141/104 3,376,688 4/1968 Takacs et a1 53/37 X 3,527,017 9/1970 Taylor eta1. 53/167 X 3,564,805 2/1971 Mumford 53/381 A 3,613,747 10/1971Trusselle 141/198 ABSTRACT Systems, apparatus and methods are disclosedfor disposing of radioactive waste materials by placing them into acontainer such as a steel drum, together with cement or othersolidifying agent and water or other suitable liquid in amountssufficient to provide eventually a solidified mixture of predeterminedamounts of cement or other solidifying agent and radioactive material,closing the drum, agitating the mixture in the drum for mixing thecontents, and then storing the drum for at least a period of timesufficient to permit partial decay of radioactive materials or to awaitavailable time for shipment. Also disclosed are remotely controlledapparatus for handling both empty and filled drums, for placing thedrums in and removing drums from enclosed drumming equipment where theyhave been filled and agitated, for accurately placing the drumscontaining radioactive material in storage, and for removing the drumsfrom storage and loading them on a vehicle for transportation. All ofthese operations are done by remote control with a high degree of safetyto the operators and maintenance personnel from radiation and freedom ofthe ambience from radiation pollution.

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1. Apparatus for packaging fluent material without human handling,comprising movable supporting means controllable by remote control forsupporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselectedpositions, said container having an opening initially closed byremovable closure means; means controllable by remote control, whilesaid container is in a preselected position, for removing said closuremeans from said container, retaining said closure means, and replacingsaid closure means on said container to close said opening after saidcontainer has fluent material introduced therein; means controllable byremote control for introducing into said container an essentiallypredetermined amount of said fluent material while said container is ina different preselected position; and means controllable by remotecontrol for agitating said container to mix the contents of saidcontainer while said opening of said container is closed by said closuremeans and while said container is in a preselected position differentfrom the one in which fluent material was introduced into saidcontainer, said movable supporting means supporting said container atall times while it is so moved and positioned in each of saidpreselected positions and also while said container is being agitated.2. The apparatus of claim 1 comprising closed enclosure means in whichsaid container is located when it has material introduced therein, isclosed and is agitated.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said meansfor moving said container, said means for introducing fluent material,and said agitating means are supported from a demountable shield wall.4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for introducing intosaid container said fluent material comprises a plurality of means forintroducing into a container any of a plurality of different fluentmaterials either as the only fluent material in the container or as oneof a plurality of fluent materials in the container, and in which eachof said plurality of means is adapted to handle a fluent materialindependently of other fluent material.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1comprising means for sensing the level of fluent material in thecontainer to determine the amount of fluent material in the container.6. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means for introducing intosaid container an essentially predetermined amount of a fluent materialintroduces into said container an essentially predetermined amount of adispersion comprising an essentially predetermined proportion ofparticulate material in a liquid.
 7. A process of packaging particulatematerial without human handling, comprising moving a container intopreselected positions, said container having an opening initially closedby removable closure means; removing and retaining said closure meansfrom said opening of said container while said container is in apreselected position; providing in said container through said openedopening while said container is in a preselected position an essentiallypredetermined amount of a dispersion of said particulate material in aliquid in which dispersion the proportion of liquid to particulatematerial is essentially predetermined; closing said container byreplacing said same closure means to close said opening while saidcontainer is in said pReselected position in which said closure meanswas removed and retained; agitating said container to mix the contentsthereof to intermix the particulate material and liquid while saidcontainer is in a preselected position different from the one in whichthe dispersion was provided in the container; and thereafter removingthe container.
 8. The process of claim 7 in which said containercontains a previously loaded essentially predetermined amount ofsolidifying agent, and in which thereafter there is introduced into saidcontainer an essentially predetermined amount of a dispersion of saidparticulate material in a liquid in which dispersion the proportion ofliquid to particulate material is essentially predetermined. 9.Apparatus for introducing into a container fluent material without humanhandling comprising an essentially closed housing; hatch means in saidhousing adapted to be closed by hatch cover means; means in said housingfor supporting a container into which said fluent material is to beintroduced, said container having an opening adapted to be closed by acap, said supporting means being adapted to receive said container atsaid hatch opening and move said container to locations where fluentmaterial is introduced into the container, the cap is placed on saidcontainer to close said opening, at which said container is agitated tomix the contents of the container, and then to a location from whichsaid container may be removed; means controlled from outside of saidhousing for moving said container to said locations; means controlledfrom outside of said housing for introducing fluent material into saidcontainer through said opening; means controlled from outside of saidhousing for placing a cap on said container to close said opening; andmeans controllable from outside of said housing for agitating saidcontainer.
 10. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said housing hasremovable sump means for collecting material from inside of said housingthat has not gone into said container.
 11. The apparatus of claim 9 inwhich said means for placing a cap on said container is cap handlingmeans adapted to remove a cap from the container, hold it, and laterplace it on said container to close said opening, and in which saidmeans for supporting said container moves said container from the hatchlocation to said location where said cap handling means is located sothat said cap can be removed from said container, then to a locationwhere said container has fluent material introduced therein, then backto said location where said cap handling means can place said cap onsaid container to close said opening, then to said location where saidcontainer is agitated, and then to said hatch location where saidcontainer can be removed.
 12. The apparatus of claim 9 in which saidhousing has cleansing means inside of said housing for cleaning theinside of said housing and the means therein.
 13. The apparatus of claim9 in which said means for supporting said container is adapted tosecurely hold a container that has two generally parallel ends and is ofgenerally rectangular cross-section between its ends, and in which saidmeans for agitating said container turns it end-over-end in said housingto agitate the contents of said container.
 14. The apparatus of claim 9comprising means for putting into said container an essentiallypredetermined amount of a dispersion comprising an essentiallypredetermined proportion of particulate material in a liquid.
 15. Theapparatus of claim 9 in which said means for supporting said containercomprises cradle frame means adapted to be moved to said locations, andcradle means movably mounted on said cradle frame means for supportingsaid container; means for securing said cradle means to said cradleframe means except when said cradle means is moved to agitate saidcontainer; and means for securing said cradle frame means to saidhousing when said cradle means is moved to agitate said container. 16.The apparatus of cLaim 9 comprising means operable from outside of saidhousing for securing said container to said supporting means.
 17. Theapparatus of claim 9 in which said supporting means is movable to aplurality of positions in said housing and includes rotatable means forcarrying said container, which apparatus comprises means for securingsaid container to said carrying means when said supporting means is in apredetermined position in said housing, and means for rotating saidcarrying means while said supporting means is in said predeterminedposition, said securing means and said rotating means being operablealong the same axis from outside of said housing.
 18. The apparatus ofclaim 9 in which said housing and said means contained in said housingare mounted on one side of a shield wall that is demountably mounted onthe wall of a chamber in which said housing is to be located when it isused, and which comprises power means for actuating the means in saidhousing, said power means being located and controlled from the otherside of said shield wall, said shield wall with said housing attached toit being removable as a unit.
 19. Apparatus for packaging particulatematerial without human handling, comprising a tank; means controllableby remote control for forming in said tank a dispersion of anessentially predetermined proportion of said particulate material andliquid; movable supporting means controllable by remote control forsupporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselectedpositions, said container having a closable opening; means controllableby remote control for introducing from said tank into said containerthrough said opening an essentially predetermined amount of saiddispersion while said container is in a preselected position; meanscontrollable by remote control for closing said container; and meanscontrollable by remote control for agitating said container to mix thecontents of said container while said container is in a preselectedposition different from the one in which said dispersion was introducedinto said container, said movable supporting means supporting saidcontainer at all times while it is so moved to and positioned in each ofsaid preselected positions and also while said container is beingagitated.
 20. The apparatus of claim 9 in which said means for passingsaid dispersion from said tank into said container comprises a meteringpump.
 21. Apparatus for packaging fluent material and mixing thematerial while in a container, comprising supporting means controllableby remote control for moving said container into any of a plurality ofpreselected positions, said container having a closable opening; meanscontrollable by remote control, while said container is in a preselectedposition, for introducing into said container an essentiallypredetermined amount of said fluent material; means controllable byremote control for closing said container; and means controllable byremote control for agitating said container, said supporting meanscomprising cradle frame means adapted to be moved to said positions andcradle means movably mounted on said cradle frame means for supportingsaid container, means for securing said cradle means to said cradleframe means except when said cradle means is moved on said cradle framemeans to agitate said container, and means for securing said cradleframe means in a preselected position when said cradle means is moved toagitate said container.
 22. The apparatus of claim 21 comprising meansoperable by remote control for securing said container to said cradlemeans.
 23. Apparatus for packaging fluent material and mixing thematerial while in a container, comprising supporting means controllableby remote control for moving said container into any of a plurality ofpreselected positions, said container having a closable opening; meanscontrollable by remote control, while said container is in a preselectedposition, for introducing into said container an essentiallypredEtermined amount of said fluent material; means controllable byremote control for closing said container; and means controllable byremote control for agitating said container, said supporting means beingmovable into any of a plurality of preselected positions and comprisingrotatable means for carrying said container, means for securing saidcontainer to said carrying means when said supporting means is in apredetermined position, and means for rotating said carrying means whilesaid supporting means is in a predetermined position, said securingmeans and said rotating means being operable along the same axis. 24.Apparatus for packaging fluent material without human handling,comprising movable supporting means controllable by remote control forsupporting and moving a container into any of a plurality of preselectedpositions, said container having an opening initially closed byremovable closure means; means controllable by remote control, whilesaid container is in a preselected position, for removing said closuremeans from said container, retaining said closure means, and replacingsaid closure means after said container has fluent material introducedtherein; means controllable by remote control for introducing into saidcontainer an essentially predetermined amount of fluent material whilesaid container is in a different preselected position; and meanscontrollable by remote control for agitating said container to mix thecontents of said container while said container is closed by saidclosure means and is in a preselected position different from the one inwhich said fluent material was introduced into said container saidsupporting means for moving said container to any of said plurality ofpreselected positions operating to move said container from a positionin which the container is placed on said supporting means, then to saidposition in which is located said means for removing said closure fromsaid container, retaining said closure and replacing said closure, thento said position where said fluent material is introduced into saidcontainer, then back to said position at which is located said means forremoving said closure means from said container, retaining said closuremeans, and replacing said closure means, and then to said position wheresaid container is agitated.
 25. The apparatus of claim 24 in which saidmeans for moving said container is adapted to securely hold a containerthat has two generally parallel ends and is of generally rectangularcross-section between its ends, and in which said means for agitatingsaid container turns it end over end to agitate the contents of saidcontainer.